Each year during commencement weekend, the BIPOC Unity Center honors the graduating students of color by hosting theBIPOC Unity Center Senior Leadership Awards ceremony. The ceremony recognizes five (5) prestigious award categories based on involvement, academic excellence, and service. In addition, this year with the office mergers, we will also present the 4 First Generation Awards. The Awards are as follows:
- The Gloria L. Hobbs Award – Cultivating empathy, helpfulness, and a willingness to go above and beyond, Presented to students who have shown empathy, helpfulness, and a willingness to go above and beyond in support of their peers.
- The Du Bois/Mandela Award – Scholarly achievements, service, and civic engagement, Presented to students for their significant scholarly achievements (cumulative 3.5 GPA or above) coupled with exemplary contributions to the campus and local community through service and continued civic engagement.
- The Chung/Thorpe Award – Leadership and Involvement in IC communities of color, Presented to students who have increased the profile of the community of color through continued participation in leadership roles throughout their Ithaca College experience.
- The Chawla/Ochoa Award – Contributing to research and knowledge creation, Presented to students who have shown a commitment to enhancing their educational experience through research, conference presentations, and published works while maintaining a high academic achievement (cumulative 3.3 GPA or higher).
- The Chávez/Lorde Award – Social change for the Ithaca College and local community, Presented to students who have demonstrated a strong dedication to social change for the Ithaca College and local community through various platforms, projects, or initiatives.
- The First Gen Dedication Award- Given to an Ithaca College Staff Member who has routinely promoted the goals and supported the first generation community
- First Gen Guardian Award- Given to an Ithaca College Faculty Member who has routinely promoted the goals and supported the first-generation community.
- First Gen impact Award- Given to a first-generation Graduating Senior who has proven to be a dedicated member of the community with their mentorship to other first-gen students.
- First Gen Leadership Award- Given to a first-generation Graduating Senior who has proven to be a dedicated member of the community with their mentorship to other first-gen students.
Students may be considered for ONE or ALL 5 categories, pending completing the written portion based on the category(ies) that best reflect your engagement at IC and beyond. Each award recipient will receive a Kente stole that corresponds to the respective award and have your name recognized at the BIPOC Unity Center Senior Leadership Awards ceremony on May 18, 2024 starting at 4pm in Ford Hall (Whalen). To learn more about this tradition please feel free to visit our website.
This form will close on April 4th 2024 at 11:55PM ET. After the review committee receives your response, we will make our final selections for award recipients and inform students no later than April 22, 2024.
STUDENTS: To Apply please log into Engage and search forms with “2024 BIPOC Unity Center Senior Leadership Awards Application” or use this link.
For First Gen Awards Only: Please use this link to apply: https://ithaca.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/633316
FACULTY/STAFF: To Nominate a student please log into Engage and search forms with “BIPOC Unity Center Senior Leadership Award Nomination” or use this link.
If you have questions, please email Cliff-Simon Vital at cvital@ithaca.edu
Thank you for your hard work and contributions to the Ithaca College Community. Best wishes on your journey as you prepare for life after the undergraduate experience.
Please Note: We are aware that the pandemic has taken many college careers on different paths than expected. We do not see this as a barrier to application and we still welcome all of your experiences in this process.